The Dream Catcher
by SydneyTheAwesomeNerd
Summary: Annie's mind was crippling. In order to get help, she instates herself as a patient at Arkham Asylum. But after The Joker escapes and makes her shoot a guard, she starts second guessing her decision. Annie is caught between leaving and risking not getting help, or staying in the place that may forever leave her insane.
1. Chapter 1

When did everything innocent disappear? The moments we danced in our tube socks, underwear, and oversized t-shirts are now gone. The laughter and goofy smiles ceased from existence. Empty voids now replace them. Color has drained out of the day and has been replaced by the desolated meaning of gray. My heart is now beating solely to exist, but there is no life there. An empty shell with no meaning walks in place of the soul that once existed.

Images passed by as I drove on the interstate. Cars zoomed by and disappeared out of view. The empty desert soon changed to plains only to turn into busy forests. Finally, the city came into view. The urban jungle held few signs of natural life. Only people littered the area; all consumed by their lives and not giving a shit about anything else. The people grew scarcer the further I drove. Finally, they all but disappeared at the bridge that led to the forbidden island.

Signs telling cars to not stop became more common. Trees started to grow, but the life had been sucked out of them. They didn't have leafs, and the grass around them was a crude yellow decaying at the trees' roots. Finally, the trees ceased their useless existence at the introduction of man's iron.

Gates blocked my car from venturing further on the island. They creaked when the wind made them move ever so slightly. Abusive rust was visible on the latches. There was no intent of escape for this island. Once it had its grip it would be nearly impossible to escape. Of course, the impossible has no meaning to those who seek havoc on the world's laws. Rust did weaken metal and all that was needed was the determination and the insanity of life.

Finally, after a couple of minutes of being stopped in an area where stopping was prohibited, a man with a machine gun approached the car. A scar ran along the side of his face, from his eyebrow to his jawline. The damaged eye was a dull gray while the other one was full of a burning intensity from his drunken stupor.

"What are you 'ere for?" he slurred and the smell of foul vodka assaulted my nose. He tightened the grip on his gun and moved it so the tip was pointing just a little bit more in my direction. Cautiously, I moved to grab some papers out of the glove box and handed them to him. He nodded before grabbing a walkie-talkie on his belt. "Open the gate."

The gate groaned in protest as it shuttered open. Slowly, I accelerated the car forward and down the gravel path. A small parking area was available for visitors, doctors, security, and patients. It was nearly barren, but all of the security parking areas were full.

I exited the vehicle and manually locked it. Taking a deep breath, I gripped my duffle bag tightly before heading towards the doors of the nearby building. When I entered, the smell of still water and disinfectant flourished in an odd combination.

A security guard stopped me and apprehended the duffle bag. He dumped everything out and closely inspected each and every item. The man then proceeded to grope the bag, looking for just the slightest bulge. He then carelessly put everything back in before telling me to walk through the metal detector. There wasn't an annoying beep after I entered, I was free to proceed.

"I can check you in over here," a woman spoke. She was dressed in a white lab coat, and her hair was put up in a tight bun. "Our receptionist just was err…Well, we're in search of a new receptionist right now, so I'll check you in. You're Aponi, right?"

"I prefer Annie," I replied and glanced over to where the receptionist's desk was supposed to be. There was a red splatter, but before I could get a closer work the doctor moved in front of me.

"Annie, then." The doctor looked down at the clipboard she was carrying and scribbled something down. "Well, it's a pleasure to have you here. I see you have your things to stay. Don't worry, we'll take good care of you." She looked up from her clipboard and frowned for a second. "But if you don't mind me asking, why did come all the way here and didn't seek treatment in Arizona?"

"I needed to get away from my family, and I hate the heat."

"Well, you don't have to worry about the heat here. In Gotham, everything's pretty much cold and damp. Now, let me give you the tour of Arkham."

I followed her wordlessly and took in everything. She was showing me the good side of the asylum. I knew of the inmates that were here, anyone that watches the news would know about them. The Joker made national news at least once every two months. Then, there was the whole Harvey Dent thing that seemed to be hushed after the initial incident. Still, the asylum was acclaimed for those with less severe mental illnesses, for those that weren't criminally inclined and wanted to get better.

"And this will be your living quarters. For security reasons, a guard will have to escort you to your therapy sessions and recreational time." The doctor took a deep breath. "Oh dear, I just made that sound like you were a prisoner." She nervously laughed. "Don't worry, Annie. You'll be treated much better than a prisoner!"

I nodded and entered what looked like a cell before it was closed and locked behind the doctor. There was a small wall covering the toilet for privacy, a cot for a bed, and dull lighting. It felt like jail, but it'd be for the best.

"So Annie, why don't we start with your childhood, what was it like?" Doctor Young questioned with a slightly raspy voice. She tapped her pen against the clipboard while she watched me with an invasive stare.

"Everything was fine for the first few years. I was close with my little sister. We would dance around and laugh. But after Mom passed away, my father started drinking. He became violent. My sister and I could escape him if we just stayed in our rooms. We tried telling the elder, but she didn't do anything. We didn't have the resources for it. We were all poor. The only thing we really had was each other. Then, my sister got sick, really sick. The elder tried doing what our tribe has done for centuries, but it's not modern medicine. Obviously, my sister died," I growled and tightened my grip on the chair. "My father started drinking more, I left his drunk ass once I was old enough."

"I see, so family issues then," Doctor Young murmured as she wrote. "When did you start noticing signs of depression?"

"After Mom passed away and when my father started drinking."

"Do you resent your father?" I remained silent. "I ask not because he became an alcoholic, but because you refer to your mother as "Mom," but you don't refer to your father like that."

"Yes, I resent him." I nodded in agreement. "The day Mom died I also lost my father. I don't really want to talk about it right now."

"I see," Doctor Young spoke just above a whisper. "What symptoms did you experience?"

"Physiological symptoms at first: stomach aches, headaches, I was always tired. Then, I started getting the psychological side: anger, hopelessness, worthlessness, apathy, emptiness, sadness, guilt. I had a hard time concentrating, and I lost contact with my friends. I would go a week without showering before my sister made me. I hardly ate. I would cry myself to sleep. Then, I tried to kill myself."

"How did you do that?"

"There were some poisonous plants growing by the house. I turned them into a tea and drank that, thinking it'd kill me. I went into a coma for two weeks, but I still didn't die."

"Did you have any other attempts of suicide?"

"No, I was just reckless, thinking that if something killed me that it'd be okay. I became more reckless after my sister passed. The day I called you," I started choking up. "I found a letter from my sister. She wrote how she noticed I was different and that she was scared she was going to lose me. She just wanted me to get better. I have to get better, for her."

"Well, we'll do our best to help you out, Annie," Doctor Young reassured. "Now, I'm going to prescribe an antidepressant. It's an SSRI, similar to Prozac. It'll be 15 milligrams, once a day. For the first couple of week we'll keep you on suicide watch, just in case. Does that sound alright?" I nodded my head, not really caring how they treated me – I just wanted to get better.

It was about three in the morning. I was hacking for the fifth time that night. My stomach had already been expelled earlier, so now it was just dry. Still, I was hunched over the toilet with tears in my eyes. Sweat had gathered on my face, making me more chilled than I already was. I was going to get a guard to help me to the medical clinic, but one hasn't made their way here the entire night.

I threw myself against the wall and held my knees close to my chest. My breathing was labored as I tried to catch it. But I held my breath as I heard footsteps coming closer. I scrambled to my feet and gripped onto the iron bars separating myself from the rest of the facility.

"Hello?" I called out. "I need help, the medicine I took is making me sick. Can you escort me to the medical facility?"

"Oh, my, my. I can do wonders to make you feel better! Just not in the way you're hoping!" a comically high pitched voice sounded from the darkness. I gulped and took a few steps back, realizing it wasn't a guard. Orange pants made their way forward, making it apparent it was a patient, but not just any patient. High security was written in bold black letters. White skin glowed under the dull flickering lights. Green hair protruded from his scalp. In a matter of seconds the Joker was grinning at me.

"Why don't you take a walk with me?" He jingled keys before he inserted it into the lock. In that instant, I forgot about my need to vomit, but I realized my need to escape. There was none. That became even more apparent with ever step he took towards me. The blood on his suit was fresh. I cringed as he grabbed my arm and started to drag me out of my prison cell. I had half a mind to scream, but the urge was silenced when a gun was pressed against my abdomen.

"Tell me, what's your name?" The Joker questioned while looking straight ahead. The sickening grin never left his face.

"Annie."

"Annie, Annie, Annie, what did you do to land yourself in here? Hmm? Oh, let me guess! You poisoned your father's cake for his birthday. No, not your style. Maybe you set your boyfriend's car on fire with him in it! Or maybe you blew up a box of puppies!"

"I'm just a patient here," I barely managed to get out. "I've never committed a crime in my life."

His grin disappeared in an instant. He looked at me with his cruel, green eyes. "Is that so?" The breath in my throat hitched. Finally, after what seemed like eons of silence, the Joker burst out laughing. "Oh my dear Annie! We'll have to fix that tonight!"

"Freeze!" The Joker's grin turned malicious as he turned around, forcing me with him. A guard had his gun raised to shoot at the Joker. The Joker pushed me forward ever so slightly. His hands placed the gun in mine. He raised the gun up, and then he held a gun to my throat.

"What will it be, dear Annie?" The Joker whispered in my ear. "If you don't shoot I won't hesitate to slice your pretty, little throat open. Then, I'll take that gun and shoot the guard myself. Two lives, or one life?"

I stared at the guard, wishing he'd just shoot. He was hesitating, just as I was. A sob burst out and tears ran down my face. My finger pulled the trigger. I let the gun fall out of my hands. My knees gave out from under me. I buried my face in my hands. The Joker howled with laughter before picking up the gun and running over to the guard.

"Oh, Annie, he's not dead! Still, I suppose you did deliver a nice shot!" The gun went off. The guard was now dead. "I'll be in touch." The Joker grinned widely before running away.

Once he was out of sight I threw up at the side of the hallway and kept on heaving before more guards and emergency personnel came by.

"I want to leave," I kept on crying out at the medic that helped me up. "I want to get out of here! I shot him, god, I shot him. The Joker was going to kill me." I gripped onto the medic and cried on their shoulder. "Please, you have to believe me."

-A/N—

Alrighty~ This is the escape of Joker right before Arkham Asylum. Anyways, let me know who you want as the love interest. Because I'm a sucker for romance/love…Right now, I'm thinking of these options: Riddler, Scarecrow, Arkham Knight, Batman, or maybe Harley Quinn (but I'm totally shipping her with Poison Ivy). Let me know what ya think~


	2. Chapter 2

Insanity seemed to make its way into my body. I felt fits of hysteria make their way known, but I forced them down. After all that I've been through, I wouldn't allow myself to lose the last thing I had. But every time they fought harder. I had the urge to scream, to hit something, to lose myself like those wearing the strait jackets and mouth guards. Instead, I would rock back and forth on my cot and try to think of something happier.

"It's not your fault the guard died," Doctor Young consoled.

"But I shot him, I could have just turned around and shot the Joker!"

Think of something happier. Think of your sister and when you'd go to the stream to collect crayfish.

"The Joker would have killed you before that even happened. Your shot didn't kill him. You hit his leg."

His blade was pressed up against my neck. It was dull, which would mean more force was required to slit my throat. The rust on it didn't make it any better. But he would take his time killing me, because it meant more pain for me, but more pleasure for him.

The gun in my hands was cleaner. It was from another guard. Its cold metal was lifeless, but it provided me with an out.

 _But it was because that you went to the stream that she got sick. It's all your fault, Aponi. Everyone that you ever love just dies. You bring death with you everywhere you go. Isn't that right?_

"No!" I screamed and shot up from the cot. My hands shook. For an instant, I thought I saw blood on them, but there was nothing there. They were just brown, with no red tainting them. "It was just a dream," I tried to reassure myself.

I stood up from my cot and went through my duffle bag. I searched frantically for an item. Finally, I held it in my hands and kissed it. Tightly strung threads created an intricate pattern inside the outer ring. Every now and then, a turquoise bead would hang on the string. At the bottom of the ring were feathers, where the nightmares would drip and cease from existence.

Ever since I was little, I had problems with nightmares. My sister would run to my room when she heard my screams. Even though she was my little sister, she was always looking out for me. Then, one day, she gave me the dream catcher. My nightmares didn't come as often, so long as I wore it every day. It was probably a placebo, but it still worked.

Carefully, I placed the worn dream catcher over my head and around my neck. I tucked it under the standard Arkham clothing so no one would try to steal it from me. The inmates could be frisky, especially the high security ones. At meals, the high security inmates would be spread throughout different times with lower inmates. The doctors hoped it'd influence the high security inmates to behave and to prevent a mass breakout. Of course, in Arkham, the insanity was always threatening to break loose.

"Time for breakfast, Annie," a guard spoke and knocked on the door of the cell. "Your group's with Zsasz, Zeus, Rat Catcher, Roxy, and Scarecrow today. Stay away from Zsasz, he's the one with all the scars. Scarecrow can get in your head, too. He's the lanky one."

"Thanks for giving me a heads up," I replied and walked down the flickering hallway with the guard guiding me. Once at the mess hall, he left my side and let me fend for myself. Taking a deep breath to calm my frantic nerves, I got in line.

"Did ya here they're sending guys over from Black Gate?" a guard asked one of his buddies. He tightened his grip on his gun. "There was a fire there or something. It's going to get a lot more crowded here. With all of the budget cuts, I'm surprised that Sharp allowed it. He could have just sent them over to Bludhaven"

"Sharps gunning for mayor now, I'm sure the pay will come rolling in."

"You really think he's interested in keeping this place running? Rumor's had it Sharp has some new plans for this place. They say he's going to rid Gotham of the scum here."

I hung my head, knowing I was a part of that scum. Mental illness or not, I shot a guard in the leg which resulted in the Joker killing him. They all looked at me with disdain now, like I was criminal.

 _Maybe you should give them what they want, Aponi. Take that one step into insanity, it'll make everything so much easier._

"Shut up," I whispered and clenched my hands tightly. Those thoughts were becoming more and more intrusive since I came here. The part I tried to hide was clawing at the gates. A monster was howling and was trying to make itself known.

"You seemed distressed, is everything alright?" I turned at the voice and was met with a pair of the most vibrant blue eyes I've seen in all of my life. There was a calculating vibe in them, one that made me feel uneasy.

"Yes, I just had nightmares last night. It must be the residual effect that you're picking up on."

"Oh? Yes, nightmares can display our darkest fears. Even in our waking moments they can haunt us, making us question our grip on reality. But there are also times where reality can be our greatest nightmare, it can make us come face to face with something far worse than our mind's construct of a false reality."

"Tell me about it," I murmured and flashed back to Mom's death, my sister's death, and the Joker. "Sometimes it would just be better to…" I stopped what I was saying, the therapist wanted me to actively stop any thoughts that were about suicide or me dying. "Better to move on in life and try to forget what happened."

"That's not what you were going to say." The man tilted his head to the side. "You have suicidal tendencies, don't you?" I gulped and nodded my head. "So tragic, it really is. Are you afraid of dying?"

"I-," I started to reply but stopped. Was I? "I didn't think I was, but I recently came close to death, not of my choosing that time. I was terrified. At that moment, I couldn't help but think I didn't want to die. I wanted to, no, I needed to live."

"You were the one taken hostage by Joker, weren't you?"

"How did you-?"

"One hears many things through the walls of this asylum." He stopped speaking for a moment and observed me behind his glasses. A slight smirk grew on his face at my confusion. "The guards are rather gossipy."

I laughed lightly, it must have been the first time in ages. "I see. I don't think I caught your name. I'm Annie." I stuck my hand out to shake his. The man raised a hand that was shackled to the other and firmly shook mine. My heart skipped a beat when I looked at the chains on him. He was a high security patient. A lanky high security patient.

Scarecrow.

"Jonathan Crane."

"Nice to meet you," I managed to get out before grabbing my tray in a hurry. It was no wonder he was fixated on fear.

"Ah, you know who I am." Scarecrow also picked up his tray and followed me in the line. "I can assure you I do not pose as a risk at the current moment. I have no fear toxin on me. Besides, I don't pose as a physical threat. Besides, I'm sure you pose as a greater threat. You did shoot a guard, after all."

I dropped my tray. "The Joker was going to kill me."

"I realize that, and anyone else would have done the same thing. I'm not saying what you did was wrong. The one that was in the wrong was The Joker and the guard. The guard should have acted quicker if he didn't want to be killed. You did absolutely nothing wrong, Annie. If you did you would have been put in a strait jacket, moved to high security, and most likely beaten by the other guards."

I bent down to pick my tray back up and glanced back at him. "Do you really believe that, that I did nothing wrong?"

"I do believe that, with all my heart." He offered a smile. I just couldn't tell if it was genuine or if he was trying to manipulate me. At that moment, though, he fed me every word I needed to hear, and I didn't care.

-A/N—

Alright, so maybe a different take on Crane. He seems to be of the sociopathic type, which means he can manipulate/be charming. Not sure if he's gonna be the love interest, so keep on letting me know~

Oh, and this is in no way going to be an abusive relationship. If it even looks like it's heading that way I'm planning on having Annie blow up and saying enough. If you want an abusive relationship, go read _Fifty Shades of Grey_.


	3. Chapter 3

"You interacted with Crane?" Doctor Young sounded terrified when she confirmed what I just told her.

I sat at the table in the cafeteria and watched as Black Gate prisoners were getting in line. Some of them eyed me like I was candy. They were more muscular than Arkham's other inmates. These men were threatening, but the increase of guards made it nearly impossible for them to do something to me. Then, Crane was sitting next to me. Any sensible person would stay away.

"Yes," I replied. "He has an interesting insight, and hehelped me rethink things about shooting the guard. I, I won't ever fully forgive myself, but I can move forward."

"So it's beginning," Crane murmured before he took a sip of cold coffee that the cafeteria served after hot coffee was used as a weapon. I looked over to him with a questioning gaze, but he didn't add onto whatever thought he was having.

"Annie, I don't think you should be speaking to him."

"I know, I don't trust him." I leaned back in the chair and looked towards the ceiling. A water spot was clearly visible. It was starting to sag, a sign that it might give way soon. "But he did help me, and I did laugh when we were speaking. God, it's been so long since I've last smiled. It felt good. I want to keep on smiling like that."

"After a couple of weeks, I think the medication will kick in and help you smile more. I'm sorry about what happened with the first one, but it's hard to tell how our patients will react. Have you had any symptoms with this specific medication?"

"None so far."

"Have you noticed an improvements in your mode?"

"Not really."

"That's good," Doctor Young said. "It might sound odd, but we don't want your medication working so quickly. If it does, that may mean there's a placebo effect, it'll give you episode of mania, or you could have bipolar disorder. Speaking of which, I was wanting to know if you've ever experienced an episode of euphoria, excitement, hostility…"

"None at all; I've only had depressive episodes."

"Well, looks like we're on the right track, then."

There was something strange illuminating the hallway. It was green and in a ceiling vent just outside my cell. I tried to climb the cell door to get a better look, but it was still obscured. It was driving me crazy, I would get at every possible position in my cell just to try and catch a glimpse. It was hidden too well.

"You're with Harley Quinn, Two-Face, and Calendar Man today, Annie," the guard told me. "Calendar Man killed women, but only on important days. As far as I know, there's not a significant day today, so you should be fine." I was slightly disappointed that Crane wasn't going to be eating with me today, he was interesting to talk to.

When I entered the cafeteria, it was livelier than usual. A blonde woman was bouncing around, telling bozos to back off, that her puddin' would be angry if someone touched her. Several men from Black Gate were laughing loudly. While they were usually louder than the other inmates, they were particularly rumbustious today.

"This was what Crane was talking about," I whispered. Never before did I feel smaller in my life. My heart pounded in my chest, I was frozen in place. Something big was coming. I needed to warn someone, before it was too late. The guards didn't trust me, and Doctor Young was out today. She had an emergency and couldn't come in. I didn't know any of the other doctors, and they'd just write me off as being insane. But if I didn't do anything it'd all be my fault.

"Uh oh, looks like someone's about to piss her pants!" The blonde was looking at me with her hands on her hips. "You alright sweetie?"

My mouth went dry, I merely nodded my head. She was in with whatever was going to happen. If I made her angry, I would be next. Did I want to die, or did I want to survive? Do I abandon what hope I had of recovery? Do I try to stay out of the way?

 _Or do you help spread chaos with these people?_

"You don't look too fine to me." The girl got closer and leaned forward, examining my face. She had a similar gaze as Crane did. Analytical, just like a psychiatrist's.

"I'm perfect," the monster spoke for me. "Everyone's livelier all of a sudden. What happened? Feel at home in this prison, or is something happening soon?"

The girl frowned and flicked her wrist as if to dismiss me. She turned away and sauntered off. "These idiots just know me is all! Nothing to concern yourself with, kid."

I regained control of myself and shied away. My hand fumbled with the creases of the orange jumpsuit. "Make sense." I hurriedly grabbed a tray of food and sat towards the edge of the cafeteria.

The urge to eat had left me a long time ago, but I still forced it down. Food had no taste after my depression started. No matter what I ate, it was all bland. It was something to just put in my mouth. Sometimes it'd just come back up, but it usually stayed down.

"Now listen," the blonde spoke a few tables away. "We need to get ready. Mistah Jay needs us!" My heart stopped.

-A/N—

Oh my goodness! I just want to thank everyone that has reviewed, followed, and favorited this story so far. I've only posted two chapters, and I've already have received so much support. Thank you so much, without you guys I probably wouldn't be writing fan-fiction (or at least I wouldn't post it).

Keep on letting me know who you want the love interest to be if you want one.


	4. Chapter 4

Guards were running by. They were all armed with a substantial amount of weapons. Some of them were yelling at each other. I moved towards the door of my cell to try and catch what they were saying.

"Batman's on his way with Joker."

My eyes widened, and I stepped back. The maniac was coming back. From what the other inmates were saying, it was planned he was going to come back. Something big was going to happen tonight.

I quickly went to the cot and lifted the mattress. The guards would be too busy with the Joker coming to realize what I was doing, but I still had to be fast. My hands yanked at the wired circles. Eventually part of it came out. It was dull, but it'd be better than nothing to defend myself with.

"Why the Hell does Frankie want all of us watching Joker? What about the other patients?"

"You've met the Joker, right?" a guard replied to the first while they ran past.

A high pitched bell chimed four times throughout the hallway. I jumped and looked up at the speakers playing the message. "New patient in the Intensive Treatment Lobby: All non-essential staff vacate the area."

"Shit," I murmured and held onto my dream catcher tightly. I grabbed the blanket on the cot and made sure it hung off, hiding whatever was underneath it. Once I was sure no one could actually see under it, I shimmied under. My eyes were clenched shut. One hand was resting over the dream catcher, and the other was holding onto the lame weapon.

"Alert in Intensive Treatment. Category 9 patient in transmit. Pacification system active. Shoot to kill permissions granted."

Tears started to build up. I started shaking. I should just end it now. Why should I let the Joker get to me? He'd just torcher me. I couldn't let him do that. But maybe it'd allow me to atone for my sins, maybe the torcher could help erase that I let my sister in the stream, that I let her get sick. But I'm not brave enough to endure it. I couldn't endure the pain.

No, I have to survive for her. That's what she would have wanted.

 _Maybe when all the crazies get lose you can join them._

The air conditioning turned off. The humming of the light bulbs went silent. My heart pounded louder in my ears before it all turned back on.

"Intesive Treatment lower floors are now at level Red Alpha." I held in a sob as he was now at my current floor. The hand holding my dream catcher left it to cover my mouth. I couldn't let anyone hear me; I had to survive.

"Ladies and maniacs." No. "I apologize for this interruption to your regular entertainment." Oh God, no. "Up until a few seconds ago, I was going to kill everyone in the room and then watch cartoons, but well…You know how I do love a captive audience." Tears started rolling down the side of my face. I could hardly breathe. My entire body went numb. I couldn't hear anything, but then everything came blasting full force.

Alarms went off. "Warning. Security breach in level B3." Gun fire. Screams. "Warning. Security breach in level B2." Obscure laughing. "Warning. Security breach in level B1." The cell door creaked open. "Warning. Security breach in level B6." Fists meeting a person's skull. "Warning. Security breach in level B4." Footsteps pounded against the floor. "Warning. Security breach in level B8."

Shuffling sounded just outside my cell. Metal rhythmically clinked against the bars of the door. The footsteps came closer and closer. An odd breath came out from whoever was standing next to the cot. I heard the fabric of the person's pants shift. The cloth that was hiding me was clenched just by my head. I held my breath and prayed to whatever deity could possibly hear me.

The sheet was pulled away. A terrifying mask was in my face. Two hands gripped me. I felt metal scape against my skin. I screamed. The man pulled me out from under the cot. I threw my body weight everyway it could go. The man held on tighter.

"Please!" I sobbed. "Let me go!"

"Relax, Annie," a morbid, high pitched voice whispered in my ear. The voice was distorted by the mask. "It's me, Jonathan."

"Jonathan?" I paused with my thrashing. My shoulders heaved up and down as I tried to catch my breath. He affirmed what he just said, but didn't loosen his grip.

"I'm going to get you somewhere safe before I get to work." He began to drag me out, but after the first few steps I willingly followed. The emotional drainage was making it hard to think clearly. All I could focus on was his ungloved hand pulling my wrist and how my face felt sticky from the tears I shed. But the more we walked, the more I wanted to collapse out of exhaustion.

I barely remember the brisk air of autumn. The grass beneath my feet was wet from it having just rained. It all blurred before we entered a sterile building. The elevator ride was slow. We quickly walked down a hallway that had endless turns.

The next room was freezing. There was no exit besides the one we just entered. The smell was foul, but tolerable. The smell of my father's vomit from a drunken escapade was worse. Some metal doors were open with empty beds.

Scarecrow helped me up in my exhausted state. He gently pushed me down to lay on the cold surface. He rolled the bed back in the long cabinet and placed something over my toe. "Stay still if someone comes in." He started to close the door, but left it open a crack for air. In a matter of moments, the sound of a door opening and closing reached my ears. He was gone.

It was that moment I registered I was in a morgue. I was playing the role of a dead person; a dead person who owed her life to an estranged man.

-A/N—

Alright, so if Scarecrow seems OOC for being kind to Annie, there's a reason. I have it planned in my head, my noggin, my brainio, my Riddler's favorite organ, my cranium, etc..


	5. Chapter 5

The door slammed open. A person ran and opened the only thing dividing me from the rest of the room. I jumped. I saw Jonathan staring at me through his mask. He gave a stern nod before re-shutting it. The sound of a zipper sounded before it went silent for a two seconds. The door slammed open again. Zipper after zipper was opened. A man grunted. A body hit the floor.

"Lock the door when he leaves, Annie," Scarecrow spoke. The door opened. Slowly, I made my way out of the refrigerated coffin. Batman was stumbling around right before me. I covered my mouth to keep in a scream. His back was turned to me. The man stumbled out of the morgue, leaving me to myself.

I jumped off of the metal bed and sprinted towards the door. They were push doors, but they could lock. Quickly, I locked it and looked around the room. If Joker's men got a hold of keys, they could easily get in here. If they didn't have keys, well, they could just kick the door down.

I grunted as I pushed a desk. It groaned in protest as it scraped against the tile floor. Black streaks were made visible, but after tonight I'd doubt the asylum would care. Gun fire went off somewhere in the building. No, they'd have to worry about that.

I backed away from the door and slid down a wall. My arms wrapped around my legs. I shut my eyes and forced myself to go to sleep – whatever happened, happened.

A jar shattered. Glass was sprawled out all over the floor. Death beds shot out from their containment units. I staggered over to a counter and gripped it. The ground violently shook. The foundation cracked and plants started shooting up to the ceiling. One vine knocked the desk away from the door before scraping the top of the room. Then, the shaking ceased, and the plants stopped growing.

Rising for my position, I turned my head up towards the ceiling. Joker's men could easily get through the hole if the building didn't collapse. My direction then turned towards the hole in the ground. It was big enough for me to fit through, but I had no idea where it would even go.

"Hey! The door's locked!" A man shouted from the outside. "Think the plants busted it?"

"No way, man. It's locked. Someone's in there. I say we get them."

I wanted to vomit at the thought of them getting in. It would just take a couple of solid kicks before they had access to the room. Taking a deep breath, I jumped down into the hole.

"Please don't collapse," I whimpered as my army crawled across the dirt. Some dumped on my face. I spit out what got in my mouth. I was just lucky there weren't any insect in the dirt. It'd make things a hell of a lot worse.

The dirt below me shifted. In an instant I was free falling. My scream was cut short when I landed in the water below me. I surfaced and gasped for air. My arms flung themselves in the water. I coughed and quickly swam towards a nearby wall. My arms wobbled and cried in protest when I pulled myself onto the brick ledge.

Black strips of hair clung to my face. My skin looked darker than it already was. I shivered and my teeth chattered. Every bit of fabric from my jumpsuit was clinging to my skin. The skin that was exposed had bit of blood was leaking from a few scrapes that littered it, but it was nothing serious. It would just need to be disinfected whenever I could manage to escape this insane prison.

There was a splash right next to me. I jumped and slammed my body against the wall. My eyes widened at the view of a scaled creature swimming by. It slowed nearby, but shot off at the sound of people talking. Their voices echoed off the walls of the sewer.

"The cave will fill with your deepest, darkest nightmares and you will never reach your precious venom roots." Insane laughter sounded out. Just as I figured it was Jonathan, violent thrashes burst from the water and his screams shattered his fit of glee.

Blood flowed past me, soon to be followed by a mangled body. My mouth went dry while I watched Crane's limp body floating down the sewer. The crocodile man swam off in the opposite direction, growling out of anger.

I sprinted towards Jonathan and out of the sewer. He washed up on the beach. I jumped down and turned him over. His face was practically ripped off. A large gash was across his eye. I lowered my head to his chest, he was still breathing and his heart was beating.

"Wake up, Jonathan." I ripped off a piece of fabric and applied pressure on his wounds. "Come on, wake up. Please." I kept my free hand on his neck, his pulse was getting weaker. "Jonathan!" I screamed.

-A/N—

Please note this is not going to be a Scarecrow X OC. I think I'm going to go ahead and do Arkham Knight X OC. But y'all can still vote.

Anyways, the whole Asylum arch was basically the prologue, now I can actually get into stuff.


	6. Chapter 6

When I looked out at the city, I felt anger. How dare they put me in here? I wasn't a criminal, but that didn't stop Strange from throwing me in here. The bastard, the entire city was going to pay – I'd be damned if it didn't.

"You can come in," a man spoke from behind me. I turned my back towards the snow covered city and followed him in.

On the medical bed, a figure was sitting. A hood was over his head. His fingers twitched ever so slightly. Slowly, he shifted his head to look at me. His right eye was misty, he was completely blind in it, but his left eye was left undamaged. He had no nose to speak of, but it what seemed like the fabric from his previous mask covered his mask. Gas masks were attached to his throat, it was one of the only ways for him to get the air he needed after the accident. He looked terrifying, even without his famed gas.

"How are you feeling?" I questioned as I approached him. "The surgery worked."

"I'm feeling ready." He pulled on a glove with multiple needles. "Gotham will cower in fear." Crane's attention turned towards the surgeon. "You can leave now, Elliot. I've already provided you with your dolls."

"You mean she did," Hush spoke harshly and nodded his head towards me. "She was the one that found them."

"And as you instructed I didn't touch them," I said while examining Crane's face for any signs that it would become infected. "I am working with Scarecrow now, and what I did was his form of payment." I turned around to Hush and glared. "Got it?"

"Fine," Hush growled before exiting the building.

"I should hire some guards," Scarecrow noted and stood up. He walked over to a cracked mirror and examined his face. "I don't want him coming back."

A man was thrown into a wall. All of Scarecrow's men were taken out, leaving only me and him left. I stood in front of him with a dagger in hand. I'd be damned if I let the one person who has protected me all this time die. I would not let anyone else around me die, except for the guards this man just took out. They were faceless pawns.

"You should invest in better guards, Crane," the man who was currently standing over the last man took out arrogantly said. He examined me, but didn't make a move to attack. Before he could do anything, Scarecrow moved me aside and stepped forward.

"And you should invest in some manners. Who are you? Another pretender to the cowl?"

"Call me the Arkham Knight."

Scarecrow chuckled while glancing at me and to this man with the bionic mask. "Another child of the Asylum set free. Tell me, what tortured soul cowers behind that mask?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. I'm here because we want the same thing. Batman dead." At the sound of the Batman being dead, I lowered my knife.

"You made short work of my guards, but Batman is a very different proposition. One for which I am fully prepared."

"Those "guards" I killed? I could replace them with an army, an army trained in his methods."

I walked up to Scarerow and whispered, "Batman would be able to take out your men just as easily. If what he says is true, there's no way you could lose. Look at everyone else that's failed to take out the Batman, because they had guards like yours. Joker died because of it. An army would take care of the police and the Batman."

Scarecrow nodded and looked at the Knight. "Trained by whom?"

"Me."

"And what would you know about Batman?"

"His fears."

"Very well. You have my attention, Arkham Knight." Scarecrow turned his back on the man and went to sit at a table. I followed and stood to his left, on his blind side so he couldn't be attacked if there was a rogue. "How will this army be supplied?"

"We get investors. Three billion should be enough."

"Three billion is a significant investment."

"People are willing to pay."

Scarecrow tapped the table with his needles. I tensed up, knowing that was often a sign when he would use his toxin on some unfortunate soul. He was losing his interest in the Arkham Knight. "And what would we be getting for our money?"

"Tanks, drones, a highly-trained infantry."

"You think we can just bring tanks into Gotham?"

The Arkham Knight took a step forward, growing irritated at the questions being thrown at him. My grip on the knife tightened. "We hold this city ransom. We create panic. Then chaos."

Scarecrow stopped his tapping and said thoughtfully, "A distraction."

"As they run scared, we emerge, take over his habitat. Every rooftop, road, and back alley. We draw him out of the shadows, chip away until he has nowhere left to hide and no one left to hide behind."

"If you want him dead, why come to me? You seem," Scarecrow paused. "Capable."

"He needs to suffer. I suffered. So he will too."

Scarecrow gave a slight sneer of glee. Though he mostly controlled his insanity, it still surfaced on occasion, sending him into a fit of mania. "So it's personal. There are so many in this city with a gift for causing harm."

"Not that kind of pain. The real kind."

Scarecrow lifted his hand to investigate his needles. "Ah, you want him afraid."

The Knight nodded his head towards the canisters of the liquid form of Scarecrow's toxin. "I've seen what your toxin does. I want that."

"You're well informed about all of us, Arkham Knight. But you're wrong about something. I don't want Batman dead. I want him unmade."

The Arkham Knight's shoulders visibly tensed up. He clenched his hands into fists. "He's better off dead."

Scarecrow remained calm as he reasoned. "Kill him, and you martyr him, you make him a legend. But break him, humiliate him, terrify him and hold him up for the world to see. Then he's nothing but a man."

"Look, you can do what you want, Crane. But when you're done, I will kill him."

"Very well. But know this: it'll be an act of mercy when you do."

The conversation seemed over, but I still had a question. "How are you planning on getting the money? I hate to break it to you, but we're not exactly rich, Knight."

"Who's your friend, Crane?"

"Dream Catcher," I spoke for myself. "We're associates."

"But now she will be accompanying you, Knight. I can't trust you just yet." I was shocked the Scarecrow would make me leave him, but I kept a blank face and would do as he says.

Arkham Knight scoffed, but answered my question. "There are plenty of supervillains who would be willing to pay. Penguin, Two-Face, Quinn, Riddler, and I'm sure some others would be willing to chip in. Crane, you should hold a meeting with all of them. They'll listen to you over me." He turned his back as he was getting ready to leave. "I'll be in contact." He moved his head to make it look like he was looking at me. "Are you coming?" I nodded and followed wordlessly. "Oh, and if you need anything else. I know who one of Batman's closest allies is. If you go through with this plan, I'll tell you."

"And she'll make sure you go through with this plan, Knight."

-A/N—

Pretty much skipped over Arkham City. I might go back to it through flashbacks, we'll see. Anyways, I have a poll open on my profile for you to vote who you want Annie to be with.

Also, if you guys like my stories, I've published a book. And it's on sale right now! You can buy it for only $1.99. The sale will end on August 14, 2015. After that it will be $3.00. You can buy it here: God-Wears-Black-SF-Ludwick-ebook/dp/B01169WO4S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439005598&sr=8-1&keywords=God+Wears+Black


	7. Chapter 7

Everything was finally in order. The antidepressants were working, I found a job in Gotham, and it felt like my life was just beginning to start. I had no idea where Crane was. After he received medical care from an underground doctor, I took off. While he did help me in the asylum, I didn't want to be associated with a criminal.

I walked up to my apartment. The door was busted open. I reached into my purse and took out a knife. Quickly, I kicked the door further open and jumped through. My eyes darted every which way. No one was there, but nothing was missing. They weren't looking to rob the place, they were looking for me.

I took out my phone to dial 911, but in that instance I was knocked upside the head. I fell to the ground. My vision was blurring. The last thing I saw was a large, white, capital T.

He turned his gun towards me. I ducked and went to kick it out of his hands. It went flying out, but he used his other hand and threw me against the wall. I got up and threw my knife at him. He moved quickly, only for the knife to get lodged into the wall behind him. I gathered myself up and ran at him. He dodged, but he wasn't my target. I gripped the knife and pulled it out. He was behind me. I turned around and sliced at him.

"Good, I was worried Crane hired some weakling," his mechanized voice sounded. He threw a punch that I blocked with my arm.

"Is that why you're trying to kill me?" I gritted my teeth, he was stronger than me. I stumbled backwards, but quickly regained my footing.

The Arkham Knight laughed. "If I wanted you dead you'd be dead, believe me."

"Then why did you just attack me?" I shouted at him and leaped towards the gun he dropped. I pointed the end of it at him. He stood up straight, no longer in an offensive or defensive position.

"I wanted to make sure you wouldn't hold me back." He stuck his hand out. "The gun?"

"It's mine, now." I stuck it between my belt and pants towards my back and re-sheathed my knife.

He shrugged it off and turned his back to me. Either he didn't believe I'd attack him, or his armor would prevent him from receiving any damage. No matter the option, I didn't want to risk attacking him. He was stronger than me. He was only playing with me earlier.

"Where did you learn to fight, Dream Catcher?"

"I took some classes." I followed him as we walked out of a base and to the sewers. "I didn't want to be caught defenseless after what happened in the asylum. Joker made me shoot a guard before his takeover, and if it weren't for Crane, Joker's men would have killed me."

"So the Joker got to you too, huh?" I inhaled sharply. It was one of the first bits of personal information I've heard out of him, besides his undying hatred for Batman. Things were starting to click. However, I kept my mouth sealed. If I inquired too much I could end up dead.

"Sir!" a sergeant called out and ran over and saluted. "Scarecrow is going to hold a meeting with the supervillains per your request. He couldn't find Black Mask, however." But maybe he wasn't too heartless if he had all of this respect from his mean.

"Tell him to not bother. Sionis is dead. Where do you think I got the money to employ all of you?" Respect can often times be bought with fear.

"Yes, sir! The meeting will be held in two weeks in that case."

"So Two-Face robs banks and gets us more money, Penguin supplies the guns, Quinn takes care of Robin, Firefly sets Gotham on fire, Scarecrow creates a threat to gas all of Gotham so it evacuates and allows us to take over, your forces hold Gotham and Ivy stops anyone from getting in or out with her plants, while Scarecrow then creates a bomb big enough to cover the entire East coast?" I questioned and followed him while he inspected the militia's drills. "I don't know, Knight. There are too many variables in this plan. The supervillains here aren't exactly known for getting along."

"There is a variable connecting them all, and connecting you." Knight pointed at my chest. "Your hatred for Gotham and the Batman."


	8. Chapter 8

"And how is everything going with the Knight?" Scarecrow asked while examining his toxin being manufactured in Ace Chemicals.

"As planned. I still can't help but be nervous about the other supervillains. They're loose cannons. Two-Face and Penguin can't be in the same room without trying to kill each other."

"Don't worry." Scarecrow turned around and started walking towards me. "They'll be under control. Those two will be separate enough to ensure the success." He stopped within a few feet in front of me and moved a strand of hair out of my face. My breath hitched in my throat. He's never been this gentle with me. "You've been by my side for so long. Four years now." He rested his forehead against mine. I felt my face heat up at this contact. He looked be straight in the eye. "Thank you."

My mouth dried up. I nodded as best I could. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around him. He returned the gesture. I felt safe, probably for the first time in my life.

"Get over here Catcher!" the Knight yelled over his shoulder. "We're going to re-station in Ace Chemicals and join up with Crane." I became nervous, but hurried after the Knight.

He stepped into the SUV we used to pass as civilians. Its interior was altered to mimic that of more military styled vehicles. It was also reinforced, made to be resistant to gun fire and bombs. Under the floor were guns, grenades, and gas canisters. While it looked pedestrian, it was anything but.

The Knight looked at me. His head tilted ever so slightly while he sat across from me. "What?" I questioned and quirked an eyebrow.

"Your pulse is faster than normal."

"How did you?"

"This helmet isn't just for a disguise, Catcher. I can read everyone's vitals. And your pulse is faster. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." I crossed my arms and sat straighter. I cursed myself, knowing that was a dead giveaway that I was lying. "I'm just a bit nervous is all. What if the bomb at Ace Chemicals doesn't work?"

"Crane didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"The contingency plan? We have Stagg working on a cloud burst that will still disperse the toxin in Gotham, the cloud burst." I stared at Knight shocked, what wasn't Crane telling me? "So he didn't tell you. Did he tell you about Ivy?"

"No, what happened?"

"Crane's taken her hostage. She refused to help and the toxin doesn't affect her. Looks like he's not filling you in on everything." I hung my head and stared at my hands. I thought I was his closest ally, but he was telling Knight everything.

The SUV came to a stop. Knight put a hand up towards the ceiling and leaned towards me to look out the window. With a grunt, he sat back down and crossed his arms. I glanced at what he was looking at. Cops were outside of Ace Chemicals.

"It seems like they're snooping. We'll have to take care of that," the Arkham Knight muttered darkly as the SUV continued through the building. Once it parked, Knight took out a radio. "I want those cops taken down. No one escapes." A confirmation was sent back over the radio. Knight looked my way. "Let's go, Catcher."

Once we were out of the vehicle, Knight made quick work with the cops – shooting them. He glanced at their badges and murmured they were some of Gordon's men: that the Batman had sent them there. He walked faster towards Crane with me in tow.

"Hold up," one of Crane's body guards ordered. He held a hand out in front of me and glared accusingly. "Just who are you?"

"She's my partner," Knight stated and took a step forward.

"Sorry." The guard wasn't at all intimidated by Knight's presence. "Scarecrow's orders. No one unauthorized past this point."

"Relax," a new voice sounded from behind the guard. "She's one of my subordinates." My hands clenched into a fist, but I bit my tongue and followed Scarecrow towards the reactant lab.

"Check the pH level for me, Catcher," Scarecrow commanded and motioned for Knight to follow him. I snatched the readers off the counter and glared at Scarecrow's back. What was going on in his mind? He wasn't trusting me with anything, I was lower than him. He didn't want me around. Was he going to betray me just like Gotham?

"I'll be back, Catcher," Knight spoke and nodded his head towards me. Even though he looked directly at me, he didn't say a word about me glaring at Scarecrow. Knight treated me as an equal, even though he was forced to be with me.

Just like that, I felt my sense of loyalty shift.

-A/N-

Alright, so two more chapters after this. And then I'll probably be done with the story. Arkham Knight events will take place next chapter, so it'll probably be long. Then conclusion. Sowee, but school has started and I don't have time for this fic…Plus, I'm planning on going back to one of my older fics and adding onto it.


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